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Hurricane Winifred (IbAHAn1829tree)
|type = Category 5 Hurricane |image location = Winifred 2022 Peak Intensity 2.png |image caption = Hurricane Winifred at peak intensity off the coast of Mexico. |formed = October 11 |dissipated = October 28 (dissipated on October 20) |accumulated cyclone energy = Some insanely high number. |highest winds = 225 mph |wind type = 1-min sustained |lowest pressure = 861 mbars (Worldwide record low) |damages = $142 billion (2022 USD) (Costliest on record) |direct fatalities = 2,024 |indirect fatalities = 16 |missing = Unknown |areas affected = Manzanillo, Mazatlan, more places in Mexico, United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Scotland. |hurricane season = 2022 Pacific Hurricane Season }} Hurricane Winifred was the strongest and most intense hurricane recorded anywhere in the world ever, surpassing Typhoon Tip by nine millibars. The twenty-fourth named storm, fifteenth hurricane, and ninth major hurricane of the hyperactive 2022 Pacific Hurricane Season, Winifred began on October 7 as a cluster of thunderstorms just east of Belize. Hurricane Winifred was the costliest hurricane in recorded history, causing $142 billion (2022 USD) in damage, and was also the deadliest pacific hurricane on record, responsible for a total of 2,040 deaths. These broke the records set by Atlantic Hurricanes Harvey and Katrina, and the 1959 Mexico Hurricane. About $72 billion (2022 USD) in damage was due to Winifred's initial landfall alone. The hurricane moved slowly over Mexico, producing prolonged heavy rainfall, with rates of up to seven inches per hour at times. This created record flooding in places near and even over where the storm made landfall, only greatly increasing the total damage left in Winifred's wake. The remnants of this storm continued northeastward across Mexico and entered Texas. There, Winifred became an extratropical cyclone, and caused flooding in places along South Texas. The heavy rains continued eastward through Virginia. Many people compared this storm to 2015's Hurricane Patricia due to the storm's extreme winds and intensity. Some called it "Patricia's Revenge", "The Great Mexican Hurricane", and even "Category 6 Hurricane." Meteorological History On October 7, 2022, a cluster of thunderstorms formed about 108 miles east of Belize. These thunderstorms quickly strengthened, but could never get a good circulation going before it went over land. These thunderstorms were said to have produced 60 to 70 mph wind gusts, heavy rainfall, and a few tornadoes. One of these tornadoes were analyzed to be an EF2, as there was quite the damage done to buildings and homes. It took the storm until late October 8 to move into the East Pacific basin, where it was slowly heading towards the boiling waters generated by the ongoing El Niño. The cluster of storms would soon stall for almost a day before it began to move westward again, bringing some rain along the coast of Southern Mexico. A circulation was beginning to quickly develop, and by October 11, the circulation closed, leading the National Hurricane Center to start issuing advisories on Tropical Depression Twenty-three-E. Eight hours after Twenty-three-E's formation, hurricane hunter reconnaissance aircraft discovered the storm had winds at sky level high enough for it to be considered a tropical storm, specifically one with 45 mph surface level winds. So, as per normal, the NHC upgraded Twenty-three-E to a tropical storm and named it Winifred, however, they did this in the form of a 3-hour intermediate advisory, since the storm strengthened so fast. And this would be the beginning of the catastrophic stormmageddon to come. Suddenly, without warning, Winifred began to rapidly intensify, with the NHC upgrading the winds to 55 mph with the next full advisory. As soon as you knew it, this storm intensified into a hurricane, basically skipping straight to Category 2 status. This is when more and more meteorologists began to get a little concerned about this storm's intensification, as "...if Winifred continues to strengthen the way it's been lately, expect a Category 5 Hurricane upon Mexico's shores," said one. Of course, Winifred continued to intensify that quickly, and only ten hours later would it become a 160 mph Category 5. The NHC sent a long message about how bad Winifred was going to be, saying it would continue to intensify and would slam Manzanillo at peak intensity and that it would now stall over Mexico for three days afterward. You heard that right, the new forecast called for the monster hurricane to stay put over Manzanillo for 3 days due to a high pressure area in the Gulf of Mexico. Winifred loved those PERFECT WARM El Niño waters, so she continued to intensify like no one had before. By the time she was nearing landfall on Mexico, she had winds of 225 MILES PER HOUR with an 861 MILLIBAR PRESSURE, beating two records for storm intensity and strength! Seems like Winifred really wanted to destroy some blue sheds, since Harvey of 2017 failed to! Also by this point, Winifred's bands were already covering a large portion of Mexico, with more coming. Ultimately, on early October 14, Winifred made the record landfall in Manzanillo, Mexico at peak intensity. This monster proceeded to wreak total havoc on the city and surrounding. The carnage was unbelievable: houses were lifted off their foundations, pools emptied out, grass was ripped off of lawns everywhere, tiny pebbles and blades of grass became highly dangerous missile-like projectiles. The experience was like being in an EF5 tornado, and this was the only hurricane on record to have damage classified as such. Manzanillo would never be the same afterwards. If the Manzanillo chaos wasn't enough to quench Winifred's thirst for destruction, she decided to start moving like a snail near where she made landfall! What a jerk! Now Manzanillo and surrounding would have to put up with extreme flooding, too! The next few days of rain would cause Mexico's worst flooding it had ever seen. Category:Category 5 hurricanes Category:Category 5 Pacific hurricanes